The Art of the Green New Deal (2020)

If 2019 was a year of resistance, 2020 must be a year of revolution. Across the world, students and young activists have risen up demanding transformational change- but how are Americans supposed to realize a Green New Deal with Trump still in the White House, and a Congress owned by corporations?

Perhaps we can actually learn something from our impeached president. In his book The Art of the Deal, Trump writes:

My style of dealmaking is quite simple and straightforward, I aim very high, and then I just keep pushing and pushing and pushing to get what I’m after.

How do we push Trump and Wall Street? How do we push the billionaires? What leverage do we have outside the voting booth?

Hillary Clinton called you the king of debt.

Trump: Well no she didn’t call me that, I call myself the king of debt, I’m the king of debt! I’m great with debt. Nobody knows debt better than me. I made a fortune by using debt, and if things don’t work out I renegotiate the debt. I mean that’s a smart thing, not a stupid thing.

How do you renegotiate the debt?

Trump: You go back and you say “Hey guess what the economy crashed, I;’m gonna give you back half”

If the emerging movements of 2019 embrace a tactic of organized debt strikes in 2020, we could crash the market for student loan asset backed securities before the next presidential election, and send a clear message to the ruling class that we will not allow them to sacrifice our futures. It’s now or never, people over profit, Earth or else.